The present invention related to an elevator communications apparatus.
Generally, the operation panel inside an elevator car comprises a control input unit provided with destination floor registration buttons and their response lights and an indicator installed on the top position in the car to indicate the current position of the car. In the prior art, the control input unit and indicator are embedded in a hole formed on the wall of a car. Many wires are led out of each operation panel according to the number of destination floor registration buttons, response lights and indicator lights, and are connected to the appliance box on the top of the car at the ratio of 1 to 1.
FIG. 3 is an external view of the control input according to the prior art , where (a) is a front view, and (b) is a side view. In FIG. 3, numerals 24 to 31 denote destination floor registration buttons and registered floor response lights. Numeral 22 indicates a door-opening request button, 23 a door-closing request button, 21 a maintenance personnel calling button, 20 a speaker and a microphone, 33 a cover for maintenance personnel, 34 a decorative panel, 36 a control input unit proper, 35 a car wall, and 37 wiring.
FIG. 4 is an external view representing an indicator according to the prior art, where (a) is a front view, and (b) is a side view. In FIG. 4, numerals 51 to 58 denote position indicator lights, and 50 and 59 show operation direction indicator lights. Numeral 60 indicates a decorative panel, 61 an indicator proper, 35 a car wall, and 37 wiring.
According to the prior art, the operation panel proper including the control input unit and indicator are embedding in the car wall except for the decorative panel to ensure that wires are not directly visible in the car.
The following describes the arrangement and operation of the elevator according to the prior art with reference to FIG. 2:
In FIG. 2, numeral 1 denotes elevator car, 2 a hoist-way wall, 3 an appliance box, 5 a controller, 4 a tail code for connection between an appliance box 3 and controller 5, 6 a sheave, 7 an illuminating light in a car, 8 and 9 control input units, 10 an indicator, and 15 a wire connecting between an operation panel including the control input units 8 and 9 and indicator 10, and an appliance box 3.
If a passenger presses a destination floor registration button on the control input units 8 and 9, a change occurs in the voltage of the cable corresponding to the wiring 15. This change is fed to the microcomputer in the appliance box connected to the wiring 15, thereby determining the destination floor registration button have been pressed. Then the destination floor registration signal is sent to the controller 5 through tail code 4. The controller 5 in response to this signal operates the car according to the contents of the destination floor registration. Further, the appliance box supplies power to the wiring connected to the registered floor response light corresponding to the destination floor registration button having been pressed, and turns on the registered floor response light.
As explained above, signals are exchanged between the operation panel in the car of the elevator and appliance box by wiring.
As disclosed in the Japanese application patent Laid-Open publication No. Sho 60-102377 and the Japanese application patent Laid-Open publication No. Sho 63-282076, efforts to minimize use of wiring by use of radio communications have already been made regarding the wiring between a car and machine room. Further, an art for allowing communications between the operation panel in the car and elevator controller by radio (infrared ray) is disclosed in the Japanese application patent Laid-Open publication No. Hei 06-92560. Further, the art of minimizing the use of a wire through radio communications between the passenger entrance indicator of the elevator and machine room is disclosed in the Japanese application patent Laid-Open publication No. Hei 03-46979.
In the prior arts described above, wiring is made between the operation panel and appliance box using the wires in the numbers corresponding to the numbers of destination floor registration buttons, registered floor response lights and car position indicator lights at a one-to-one ratio. When there is an increase in the number of floors in a building where the elevator is installed, the number of wires has to be increase in proportion, with the result that much time and labor must be spent on wiring work. Moreover, to ensure that the wires to be led out of the operation panel are not visible in the car, the operation panel has to be embedded in the hole of the car wall. This requires holes to be formed on the car wall. Not only that, if the installation position of the operation panel is to be changed for some reason, or if the interior of the car is to be renewed, the holes must be filled or the entire car wall must be replaced by a new one. This has led to a cost increase so far.
The object of the present invention is to provide an elevator communications apparatus capable of minimizing the number of wires used in the car, thereby solving the problems given above.
One means of solving these problems is to provide a terminal which performs radio communications with an operation panel installed in the elevator car at a comparatively short distance by connecting between the operation panel and an elevator controller.
This means allows radio communications between operation panel in the car and the terminal, thereby reducing the number of wires used in the car. Furthermore, communication is carried out at a comparatively short distance between the operation panel and terminal. This reduces the influence of noise and improves reliability or dependability of communications.